Confidant of FIFA President Infantino: Switzerland is investigating allegations of fraud

Last February, the Swiss Money Laundering Reporting Office (MROS) received a suspicious transaction report from a financial institution in the canton of Friborg. It points out various irregularities in transactions on Véron Mosengo-Omba’s account. In its report, the Money Laundering Reporting Office points to various cover-up maneuvers, including the withdrawal or deposit of large amounts in cash. This hinders the tracking of money flows.

Since 2021, Mosengo-Omba has been the Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), based in Cairo. But he spent most of his life in Switzerland. In the 1980s, his family fled the dictator Mobutu from Zaire, now Congo-Kinshasa, to Neuchâtel. The young Mosengo-Omba played football, but only played a few games in the Xamax second team.

He was Infantino’s fellow student

The refugee from Africa was far more successful in another area: he completed his law studies at the University of Freiburg with a licentiate degree. There Mosengo-Omba became friends with a fellow student from the canton of Valais – Gianni Infantino. The two have remained close, at least professionally, to this day.

After completing their studies, the two young lawyers worked in Neuchâtel for the Center International d’Étude du Sport (CIES), a partnership between science, the public sector and FIFA. The world football association was the next professional stop for Mosengo-Omba, now a Swiss-Congolese dual citizen. When he moved from FIFA to the European Football Association (Uefa) in Nyon in 2005, he met his fellow student Infantino again, who was then heading UEFA’s legal service.

The two have been inseparable ever since.

After his election as Fifa president, Infantino immediately brought his long-time companion back to Zurich, to the headquarters of the world football association. He appointed Mosengo-Omba as director for African member countries. In 2021, after the election of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe as president of the CAF, Infantino Mosengo-Omba joined him as secretary general.

The French-speaking Swiss online portal “Gotham City” became aware of the suspicious transaction report from the MROS money laundering reporting center last February in a written decision from the Federal Criminal Court this week.

“A bundle of clues”

In the decision, which is also available to the NZZ, the MROS suspicious activity report is quoted variously. This comes to the conclusion that “a bundle of evidence” fuels suspicions of unfaithful management, fraud and forgery of documents. Mosengo-Omba’s account received several bonus payments that were well above the maximum contractually agreed with his employer.

The court decision also shows that a whole range of Swiss financial institutions are apparently involved in the suspicious transactions – not just the bank from the canton of Friborg that raised the alarm at MROS.

The reason for the court decision is a request from the Freiburg public prosecutor’s office, which would like to transfer the explosive case to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. In their request, the cantonal investigators point out the complexity and international connections of the case.

If the suspicion of cash deposits is confirmed, the Freiburg public prosecutor’s office warns in its submission, this could “cause serious damage to the financial center and endanger Switzerland’s reputation.”

“Not a significant case”

Despite this urgent appeal, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office speaks out in its statement against taking over the criminal proceedings. This is not a significant case of economic crime. But that is a prerequisite so that the Federal Prosecutor’s Office can intervene in the cantonal competence.

It is not the first time that financial irregularities have been investigated in the African football confederation CAF, under the leadership of President Motsepe and Secretary General Mosengo-Omba. An investigation was launched last summer following various allegations of corruption. After the publication of the investigation report, Mosengo-Omba was accused of “whitewashing” because he had appointed the external auditor himself.

Several payments from Fifa to the CAF that went beyond the regulatory subsidies to the continental associations also came under criticism. These payments were made at the request of the African Football Association – for the targeted financing of extraordinary projects.

In an interview with the French-speaking Swiss newspaper “Le Temps” last February, Mosengo-Omba responded to the accusation that FIFA wanted to use these payments to influence the African association. His personal closeness to President Infantino was also raised as sensitive.

Mosengo-Omba said in the interview that he had heard these accusations several times, but he could only laugh about them. It is true that FIFA has approved several applications from the CAF for particularly expensive projects in the logistical or humanitarian areas. But that doesn’t change the independence of the African football association.

And he has actually known Gianni Infantino since their time together at the University of Freiburg. “Of course we work closely together,” says Mosengo-Omba in an interview, “but everything else is just fantasy.” Since he began working as Secretary General of the CAF in Cairo, Infantino has not even visited him, although he has invited him several times.

Mosengo-Omba responded to the latest allegations from Switzerland on Thursday with a statement on X. He rejects the allegations on four points. The disputed payments are his wages and his bonus, which he is contractually entitled to.

He also offered to cooperate with the public prosecutor and also contacted the banks to clarify any doubts.

Véron Mosengo-Omba is correct at least in one point of his statement: He points out that neither the Freiburg public prosecutor’s office nor the federal prosecutor’s office have initiated criminal proceedings to date. In fact, the two instances have so far only argued about who should take over the case – for better or worse.

However, no actual investigative actions have been carried out since the MROS money laundering office reported suspicions, at least not until the court decision, as the judges note.

The Federal Criminal Court that was called upon also did not want to settle the dispute. It did not even respond to the request of the Freiburg investigative authority on the grounds that there were currently too few facts available for a decision to be made.

The wheels of the Swiss justice system are once again grinding extremely slowly in the FIFA environment.